Letters | Mental health, Rand Paul, the NRA

Thanks to Platt

I would like to thank Pam Platt for her exceptional openness and courage exhibited through her column in Sunday's Forum. She highlights most eloquently that a mental illness is a real and true medical condition unrelated to "lack of character" or potential, needing community support and understanding.

As a psychiatrist for 34 years, caring for people from all walks of life in a number of different settings, I have been witness to the remarkable strength and resilience of those finding a successful recovery process with proper treatment.

Mental health problems can range from mild conditions to severe and life-threatening disorders, and affect at least 60 million people in the U.S. alone. Both public stigma and self stigma can keep people with a diagnosable mental disorder from even seeking treatment. Many hope and think their problems will just go away.

Discrimination has also limited access to mental health care, often by insurance companies that count on shame being a factor in preventing advocacy for equal treatment benefits. Tireless efforts though for equitable care have helped this problem, but more is needed. Education and personal contact promote this support since people are basically compassionate and realize everyone needs help at some point in their lives. Organizations such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Kentucky Psychiatric Medical Association and Mental Health Kentucky are devoted to providing information and direction for those in need.

So much appreciation is in order for Pam Platt and Ashley Judd, both accomplished, articulate and visible people for their most personal contribution to this educational process. It will certainly help others seek the important treatment they need and deserve.

GARY WEINSTEIN, M.D.

Louisville 40222

The Washington problem

Regarding Sen. Rand Paul's Tuesday opinion piece on his gun legislation votes: When he expresses sadness for the parents as he rationalizes voting against the watered-down background check bill, he should count the number of parents of children who were killed with the ninth through 30th bullets in each of the clips the shooter used to murder the 20 children and 6 adults. There were 154 bullets fired in 11 minutes, 26 dead.

If our righteous lawmakers do not want to pass laws that some criminals will violate, then why do they pass any laws? If 86 perent to 90 percent of Americans want their politicians to pass stricter gun laws why do we not have stricter gun laws? How is our democracy to work if the people we elect work for the corporations instead of for the best interest of the country, our people? A child can tell you a corporation is not a person.

Fifty-four senators voted for the gun background check out of 100. Why do filibusters stop the majority? If there ever was a time for a constitutional convention, it is now. We the people need to be heard and we are not. Just look at the money in Washington or the number of lobbyists. We need to term limit the corporate, ego- and re-election- driven professional money machines we call Congress.

America, we have a problem, and it is not in Houston. It is in Washington.

DAVID DAY

Louisville 40207

'Really show some guts'

Thank you for the welcome column published Tuesday from Mary Sanchez, reminding us of Emmett Till.

I took that a step further several days ago in this email sent to friends, conflating Sandy Hook and Kevin Ware's injury:

"Sen. Feinstein just challenged fellow legislators 'to show some guts.' I really think we should take her message literally as well as figuratively - really show some guts, actually publish photos of stomachs and intestines ripped apart from gun violence. Ware's injury is the impetus. Remember that no one could bear to look at it, or vomited when they did?

"Too horrific. everyone said. I humbly submit that what the first responders saw at Newtown and all the other cities where mass shootings have occurred is THE truly horrific. Maybe if Americans in general and our legislators in particular had to see those photographs, they might be willing to stand up to the NRA."

ART HOFFMAN

Louisville 40242

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Letters | Mental health, Rand Paul, the NRA

I would like to thank Pam Platt for her exceptional openness and courage exhibited through her column in Sunday?s Forum. She highlights most eloquently that a mental illness is a real and true